Suppose we are driving full speed along a road and suddenly thick fog envelopes us. Even if we turn our car lights fully on, the fog still blocks our vision. We may just have to pull over and wait till the fog dissipates.
Just as physical fogs can blind us externally while driving, emotional fogs can blind us internally while living or even while thinking. When such fogs descend on us, our inner world becomes crowded and clouded with overpowering emotions.
Let’s understand inner fogs better by contrasting them with outer fogs on two main parameters:
Perceivability: Outer fogs can be easily perceived because we can sense that our vision is being impeded. In contrast, inner fogs can be tough to perceive – an emotion may come upon us so suddenly that we may not even sense it before it takes away our sense. Whereas outer fogs usually stop our activity, inner fogs frequently accelerate our activity, impelling us to make choices that can be short-sighted or even self-destructive.
Removability: Just as strong outer fogs may stay on even if we turn on our car lights fully, strong inner fogs may stay on even if we exercise our reasoning capacity fully – we may just not be able to figure out why that emotion has overwhelmed us or how to deal with it constructively. Just as the sun can dissipate outer fogs completely, the sun of spiritual wisdom can dissipate inner fogs completely – such wisdom animates us with such a strong sense of divine purpose that distracting emotions can no longer control us. Significantly, while we can’t accelerate the rising of the physical sun, we can accelerate the rising of the sun of spiritual wisdom. How? By prayerfully turning toward the indwelling divinity, Krishna. As he is the source of all wisdom, he can illuminate our inner world with a sun-like clarity (Bhagavad-gita 05.18) that frees us from all confusion – as happened to Arjuna on hearing Krishna’s words of wisdom (18.73).
One-sentence summary:
When emotions fog our inner world, invoke the sun of spiritual wisdom.
Think it over:
- How are overpowering emotions like a fog?
- Why are inner fogs tougher to perceive than outer fogs?
- How can we deal with strong inner fogs?
***
05.16: When, however, one is enlightened with the knowledge by which nescience is destroyed, then his knowledge reveals everything, as the sun lights up everything in the daytime.
To know more about this verse, please click on the image
the torch of bhakti guide you through the fog of MAYA